Heel attaching machines



P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACI-IING MACHINES Jan. 15, 1963 Original Filed May 12, 1960 15Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig 1 fiwenfors Paul E/iorgan MllardLBa/ccr By theirAttorney Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12, 1960 115 Sheets-Sheet 2 NJan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES l5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed May 12, 1960 Q1 6 g 0 Ni Q Ma mm Q O\ O WW 5 v KO 0 whn/ u who m .QN Q m 0 @u 10 m NM8Q T. Q w. QN o ,\A,%\N/ O O O H sfi vi a SQ a -J G 1963 P. E. MORGANETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12, 1960 15 Sheets-Sheet 4Jam 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12, 1960 15 Sheets-Sheet 5Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES 15 Sheets-Sheet 6 Original Filed May 12, 1960Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES 15 Sheets-Sheet 7 Original Filed May 12, 1960was Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES l3 Sheets-Sheet 8 Original Filed May 12, 1960Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12. 1960 15 Sheets-Sheet 91963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12, 1960 13 Sheets-Sheet 10Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original FiledMay 12, 1960 15 Sheets-Sheet 11 Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12. 1960 13 Sheets-Sheet 12Jan. 15, 1963 P. E. MORGAN ETAL 3,072,913

HEEL ATTACHING MACHINES Original Filed May 12. 1960 l5 Sheets-Sheet 13J36 JJ 8 United dtates Patent Oiifice 3,072,913 Patented Jan. 15, 19633,072,913 HEEL ATTA HlNG MACHINES Paul E. Morgan, Melrose, and WillardL. Baker, lpswic'n,

Mass, assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporatron, Flernnigton, Ni, acorporation of New .iersey Continuation of abandoned application Ser.No. 28,625, May 12, 1960. This application May 3, 61, Ser. Na. 110,298

38 Claims. (til. 1-l02) This invention relates to heel attachingmachines and is illustrated as embodied in a machine for attachingrubber heels and their associated'base lifts to shoes by what iscommonly known as outside nailing. This application is a continuation ofour copending application for United States Letters Patent Serial No.28,625, filed May 12, 1960, now abandoned.

In the use of conventional machines for attaching heels to shoes mountedon geometrically graded lasts, which are made of wood and have steelpositioning plates secured to, their back cones and which are disclosedin United States Letters Patent No. 2,806,233, granted September 17,1957 on an application filed in the names of Arthur R. Hubbard et al. ithas been found that heavy pressure applied heightwise to th last by thepushing action of the drivers of said machines has a tendency to forcethe positioning plate into the last or otherwise to displace said platewith relation to the wood last and often to crack the last.

Furthermore, in conventional heel attaching machines the last upon whichthe shoe is mounted is placed on a spindle of the jack and is movedrearwardly together with the jack by hand against a back gage. At thesame time the right and left shoes mounted on right and left lasts areusually manually oriented by eye on the spindle of the jack posts so asto swing the vertical median plane of the heel seat of the last intoregister with a fixed reference plane of the jack and of the operatinginstrumentalities of the machine. Heel lifts and associated base liftsto be attached to shoes by conventional machines are placed ininterchangeable heel forms which are moved into positions in whichtheheel lifts therein have their peripheries in opposed register with butlying slightly outside the feather lines of the heel seats of the shoeswhich have been mounted on the jack and are manually held by theoperator during the heel attaching operation, the jack thereafter beingmoved by power toward the heel to force the heel seat of the shoemounted on the jack against said heel preparatory to driving nails intothe work. Machines such as above referred to require the services of askilled operator since the shoe carried by the last must be movedtogether with the last against the back gage and must be oriented on thespindle of the jack by the operator in accordance with whether the shoeis a right or a left. Moreover, this operation is tiring on theoperator.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved heelattaching machine which is simple in construction and by the use ofwhich shoes mounted on geometrically graded last, for example, may haveheels attached to them quickly and effectively by an unskilled operatorwithout danger of damaging the last. It is another object of theinvention to provide a heel attaching machine provided with means forautomatically delivering heels to a position in which they are attachedto the shoe.

With the above objects in view, the illustrative machine, whichcomprises a nailing die, a support for a last carrying a shoe, and meansfor effecting relative movement between the support and the jack tocause the heel and the heel seat of the shoe to be forced together, inaccordance with a feature of the invention is provided with means fordriving nails into the heel and the heel seat of the shoe with impactaction to attach the heel to the shoe.

With a view to reducing to a minimum the pressure applied against thework, and especially against the last during the attachment of the heelto the shoe, the jack of the illustrative machine, in accordance Withanother feature of the invention, is yieldingly supported, for example,by a heavy spring. The combination of a yieldingly mounted jack anddriving of nails by impact action has resulted in materially reducingthe pressure applied against the last during the heel attachingoperation and has also resulted in providing a machine which is simplein construction and effective in its operation.

As above explained, in heel attaching machines now in use, the shoecarried by the last mounted on the spindle of the jack post ispositioned lengthwise in the machine by moving the rear end of thecounter portion of the shoe into engagement with the back gage, theorienting of the shoe on the spindle of the jack post to insure that thevertical median plane of the heel seats of right and left shoes shall becoincident with the reference plane of the machine being effectedmanually by the operator. In the present machine the last upon which theshoe is mounted is placed on a spindle which is constrained for movementin a rectilinear path extending lengthwise of the axis of the spindleand toward and away from the nailing die of the machine, but is notmovable at right angles to this path as are the jack spindles of theconventional machines such as above referred to. The rear ends of theheel seats of geometrically graded lasts of different sizes are spacedgraded distances from the axis of the thimble of the last, which axislies in the vertical median plane of the heel seat of the last. It willthus be clear that since the axis of the spindle of the present jack ismovable only lengthwise of its axis, the rear ends of shoes of differentsizes operated upon by the present machine are arranged in differentpositions forwardly and rearwardly of the machine.

As above stated, the geometrically graded last has secured to the uppersurface of its back cone a positioning plate, such as disclosed in saidPatent No. 2,806,233. The present jack post i provided with abutmentswhich, when the last carrying the shoe is placed upon the spindle,cooperate with the positioning plate of the last to orient the shoe onthe jack so that the vertical median plane of the heel seats of rightand left shoes will be arranged in the fixed reference plane of themachine.

The present machine, in accordance with further features of theinvention, is provided with a heel carrier unit for automaticallypositioning and clamping heels of different sizes with their vertical orheightwise median planes arranged in a fixed reference plane of thecarrier unit and with their axes of symmetry, which are hereinafterdefined and are included in said reference plane, lying in or coincidentwith a fixed axis of the carrier unit, said unit being automaticallymoved to a predetermined position in which the heel positioned andclamped in said unit is moved adjacent to the nailing die with thevertical median plane of the heel lying in the reference plane of themachine and the axis of symmetry of the heel arranged parallel to andadjacent to the axis of the spindle of the last, the distance betweenthe spindle axis and the axis of symmetry of the heel positioned in themachine being constant, irrespective of the size of the heel. With sucha construction it will be apparent that when the jack, and accordinglythe shoe mounted on it, is moved in a rectilinear path toward thenailing die, and the heel seat of the shoe is forced against the heeland the heel is forced against the nailing die by the action of the jackpost, a projection of the outline of the heel on the plane of thefeather line of the heel seat of the shoe will lie a desired uniformdistance outside said part of the operator and very little effort.

with abutments on the jack. The heel is dropped automatically onto atable from the magazine at the end portion of the power cycle of themachine and, after the shoe has been placed on the jack, clamps formingpart of the carrier unit position the heel automatically in the clampingunit with the vertical median plane of the heel coincident with thefixed uniform plane of the unit with the axis of symmetry of the heelarranged in a fixed axis of the carrier unit irrespective of the size ofthe heel, said carrier unit then being automatically swung to its heelattaching position beneath the nailing die during the cycle of themachine.

The present machine requires little, if any skill on the The automaticheel delivery mechanism above referred to is relied "upon to provide afully automatic heel attaching machine disclosed in United StatesLetters Patent No. 3,048,862, granted August 14, 1962 on an applicationfiled in the names of Dorosz et al.

The present invention consists in the above features and in other novelfeatures which are hereinafter described and some of which are embodiedin an improved nailing die, and an improved nail distributor, referenceillustrative machine;

FIG. 2 is a front View, partly broken away and partly in section, ofnail driving mechanism of the machine; FIG. 3 is a plan view, partly onthe line III-Ill of FIG. 2, showing a nailing die of the nail drivingmechanism and also showing in a loading position a carrier unit .whichis adapted to position and to clamp a heel, which comprises a heel liftand a base lift, and to transfer said heel to a heel attaching positionbeneath the nailing die and above the jack of the machine;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line IVIV of FIG; 2 showing details of thenailing die and a gun for operating drivers which travel in nail tubesof said die, to drive nails into a heel, which is forced against thebottom of the nailing die, and into a heel seat of a shoe forced againstsaid heel;

FIG. 5 is a section, partly on the line V-V of FIG.

'2, showing details of the jack in. its raised position with workmounted on it;

FIG. 6 is a section on the line VIof FIG. 5 showing the upper end of aback cone of a geometrically graded last and lugs of the jackcooperating with a positioning plate on the last for positioning lastsand accordingly shoes on the jack;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a shoe to which the heel has beenattached by the illustrative machine, the outline of the outsole and theheel of the finished shoe being shown in dash outline;

FIG. 8 is a view, partly in plan and partly in section on the lineVIIIVIII of FIG. 4 showing details of the nail tubes of the nailing dieand of mechanism for moving the tubes into different adjusted positionsto vary the nailing patterns of said tubes in accordance with the sizeof the shoe being operated upon;

FIG. 9 is a section on the line IX-IX of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the carrier unit, the cover of which has beenbroken away, showing a heel lift and its assembled base lift positionedand clamped in I said unit ready to be swung to a heel attachingposition beneath the nailing die;

FIG. 11 is a section on the line XIXI of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a naildistributor of the machine;

FIG. 13 is a section on the line XIII-XIII of FIG. 15;

PEG. 14 shows a portion of the front of the nail distributor;

FIG. 15 is a plan view, partly broken away of the nail distributor;

H68. 16 and 17 combined is a schematic view of fluid pressure operatedmechanism of the machine and is especially useful in describing theoperation of the machine;

PEG. 18 is a plan view of a magazine which is mounted above the carrierunit of the machine and is adapted automatically to feed heel lifts andtheir associated base lifts to the carrier unit;

FIG. 19 is a front view, partly broken away, of the magazine and aportion of the carrier unit shown in FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a view showing the bottoms of right and left geometricallygraded lasts superimposed on each other and illustrating that the heelend portions of the lasts are coincident and that the toe ends of thelasts are laterally offset from each other;

FlG. 21 is an illustrative view used in describing the characteristicsof a conventional heel or heel lift attached to shoes by the use of theillustrative machine; and

FIG. 22 shows a portion of the fluid pressure diagram with a reset valveincorporated therein.

The illustrative machine is described with reference to attaching acomposite heel 30, which comprises a rubber lift 32 and a base lift 34,to a heel seat as (FIG. 7) of a shoe 38 and comprises a jack 49 (FIGS.1, 2 and 5) for supporting upside down a geometrically graded last 42 inwhich the shoe is mounted, a multipart nailing die 44, a nail drivinggun 46, a nail distributor 48 for supplying nails 49 to the nailing die,a magazine 54 from which the heels are successively delivered to astable 52, and a carrier unit 54 which is adapted successively toposition and to clamp the heels resting on the table and to move themfrom said table to a heel attaching position just below the nailing die.The heel lift 32 per se may be regarded as a heel and if desirable themachine may accommodate rubber heels having base lifts spotted to them.

When the shoe 38 has been positioned upon the jack and the heel 30 hasbeen placed upon the table 52 the machine operates automatically throughits cycle causing in succession, through fiuid (pneumatic) pressureoperated means hereinafter disclosed, the carrier unit 54 to clamp theheel, which has been manually placed upon the table 52 or has beendropped automatically onto the table from the magazine 50, andthereafter to move the clamped heel to a predetermined heel attachingposition below the nailing die 44, the jack 40 to be raised to force theheel seat 46 of the shoe 38 against the heel 3i) and the heel againstthe lower ends of lateral naiI tubes 56 and front and rear nail tube 56aof the nailing die, and the gun 4-6 to be operated to drive, bymultiimpact action nails 49, which have been delivered to the nailingdie 44 and have their pointed ends resting in recesses 58 (FIGS. 7 and10) in the tread face of the heel, into the heel and the heel seat ofthe shoe, said nails being clinched in said heel seat by reason of theirbeing:

forced against a heel plate 60 of the last 42 during the final part ofthe driving operation Wherebyto attach the heel to the shoe.

When the heel St has been attached to the shoe 38 it. is released fromthe carrier unit 54, the jack 4%) and the gun 4-5 are moved to theirlowered and raised starting or retracted positions respectively, and thecarrier unit 54 is moved back to its loading position over the table 52and beneath the heel magazine 50, the lowermost heel in the magazinefalling by gravity onto the table.

The machine comprises a base 62 and a vertical column 64 bolted to saidbase. Bolted to the column 64 is a bracket 66 having secured to it apair of vertical guide rods 68 serving to guide the gun 46 verticallytoward and away from the nailing die 44 which is supported on a bracket711 bolted to the column. The column also has bolted to it a bracket 72(FIGS. 1 and 5) which supports the jack 4t and operating means therefor.

Formed in a table portion '74 of the bracket '72 is a rectilinear slot76 and mounted in said slot is a supporting plate 78 which has welded toit a bearing post 89 and may be initially adjusted lengthwise of saidslot and forward and rearward of the machine by turning a thumb screw 82threaded into the plate and rotatably mounted on a lug 84 secured to thetable portion of the bracket. The plate 78 may be clamped in its intialsetting in the slot '76 formed in the table portion 74 of the bracket 72by the use of screws 86 Which pass through a recess 88 in said tableportion and are threaded into a ring-shaped block 99.

Vertically slidable in the bearing post 89 is a. piston rod 91 which hasformed in its upper end a bore 92 for receiving a shank portion 94 of ajack post 96 having secured to it an arm 94 which fits in a spline-way1% formed in the piston rod and insures against rotation of the postupon said rod. Interposed between a face of the jack post 96 and theupper end of the piston rod 91 are spring washers 182 which aredisclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 65,790, granted June 18,1867 on an application filed in the name of Julien F. Belleville andconstitute strong resilient means or springs for constantly urging thejack post in its rest position upwardly on the piston rod 91 until thearm 98 engages a shoulder 104 of said rod. The jack post 96 has anupstanding spindle 186, which is adapted to receive a thimble 1118(F168. 6 and 2%) of the geometrically graded last 42 carrying the shoe38, said last having at its back cone a flat upper face 116 adapted tobe engaged by a positioning plate 112 of the last.

The geometrically graded last 42 is disclosed in United Sta;es LettersPatent 1,948,547, granted February 27, 1934 on an application filed inthe name of Laurence E. Top :am and comprises the above-mentionedthimble 188 which is centered about an axis 114 and a heel seat 118formed by the heel plate 66 against which the heel attaching nails 49are cinched. Lasts 42 of dLfferent sizes have the rear ends of theirheel seats 118 spaced different distances from the axes 114 or" thethimbl-es 198 of the lasts. Firmly secured to the upper face of the backcone of the last 42 is the positioning plate 112 which, as will beexpained, is used to orient the last about the spindle 186 of the jackpost 96, said plate having formed in it a hole which registers with theupper end of the thimble 108 of the last. The positioning plate 112 maybe considered part of the last 42 and is disclosed in detail in PatentNo. 2,806,233.

As explained in Patent No. 2,806,233, right and left geometricallygraded lasts 42 have the center lines 120 (FIG. 20) of their foreparts,which center lines extend between the tip of the toe end of the bottomof the last and the axis 114 of the thimble 168, dsposed at equal anglesalpha at opposite sides of a vertical median plane 122 of the heel seat118 of the last which plane includes a line extending from the rear endof the heel seat of the last to the axis of the thimble. The positioningplafes 112 of right and left lasts 42 have front and rear pairs ofparallel planar shoulders or faces 124, 126 (FIG. 6) respectively, theplates being secured to the upper fates of the back cones of the lastswith their front shoulders 124 arranged parallel to and spaced equaldistances from the center lines 120 of the foreparts of the lasts andwith their rear shoulders 126 arranged parallel to and spaced equaldistances from the vertical median planes 122 of the 5 heel seats 118 ofthe lasts. It will be noted that'the heel seats 118 of the right andleft lasts 42 are substantially coincident while the toe ends of thelasts swing laterally away from each other.

In order to position right and left lasts 42, which carry the shoes 38,upon the spindle 106 of the jack post 96 with the vertical median planes122 of the heel seats 118 of the lasts coincident with a fixed referenceplane 128 (FIGS. 2 and 8) of the machine, which reference plane is alsothe vertical longitudinal median plane of the jack 46 and of the nailingdie 44, the post 96 of the jack is provided with a pair of upstandinglugs 134) which are engaged respectively by the rear shoulders 126 ofthe positioning plate 112 of the last upon the jack post spindle 106.

The bearing post has welded to it an annular block 132 screwed to acylinder 134 having reciprocable in it a piston 136 secured to theconnecting rod 91. When the jack post 96 is in its lowered workreceiving position a lower threaded end portion of the piston rod 91 isin engagement with the lower end of the cylinder 134.

The bracket 71 which is secured to the upstanding column 64 cf themachine, has formed in it a pair of openings 138 (FIGS. 8 and 9) spacedby a central web and this web is provided with front and rearrectilinear guideways 140. The bracket 78 is provided with four threadedbores for receiving headed screws 142 which have spacers 144 (FIGS. 4and 8) mounted on them and extend th ough bores in a cover or guideplate 146. The bracket 79 also has threaded into it headed screws 141which pass through bores in the cover plate 146 and have spacers 143mounted on them, these screws cooperating with the screws 142 to securethe cover pate 146 in a predetermined fixed reation with the bracket'70. The cover plate 146 has formed in it openings 145 (FIG. 3) andguideways 147 wh'ch are similar to the openings 138 and the guidewaysrespectively formed in the bracket 76, said openings and guideways beingarranged in vertical alinement. Extending vertically through theopeniags 138, in the platform 70 and the cover 146 are the side orlateral nail tubes 56 and extending through the guideways 143B, 147 arethe front and rear tubes 56a, each of said tubes being provided withlarge and small bores or passages 148, 148a in which the drivers 150respectively reciprrcate. The lateral nail tubes 56 have formed integralwith them angularly shaped carrier arms 152 fitting slidingly betweenthe guide or cover plate 146 and the upper face of the bracket 70. thefront and rear tubes 56a having frrmed intrgral with them arms 153 whichare rectangular in cross section and are also slidable between the guideor cover plate 146 and the upper face of said bracket. The large andsmall passages 148, 14801 of the nail tubes 56, 56a may be collectivelyreferred to as the passages of said tubes.

Formed in the under side of the guide or cover plate 146 are sots 154the vertical median planes of which include a vertical central axis 156of the nailing die 44, said axis being referred to as the central axisof the pattern or design of the tubes 56. 56a of said die. Rotatabe in acircular rabbet 158 (FIGS. 4 and 9) of the bra'ket is a cam plate 160having inner and outer cam ways 162, 164 (FIG. 8). The tube carryingarms 152, 153 have secured to them pins 166, 168 (FIGS. 4 and 8) theupper ends of which have rotatably mounted on them rolls 170, 172fitt'ng in the slots 154 formed in the cover plate 146. R0- tatablymounted on the lower ends of the pins 166, 168 are rolls 174, 176 whichengage in the inner cam Ways 162. The angular carrier arms 152 also havesecured, respectively, to them pins 178 having rotatably mounted on themrolls 180 which fit in the associated outer ways 164 of the cam 166.When the cam 160 is rotated the arms 153 and accordingly the front andrear nail tubes 56a move in rectilinear paths toward or away from theaxis 156 of the nailing die 44 and the pins 166 in the angularly shapedcarrier arms 152 move in rectilinear paths toward'and away from said'axis and also serve as fulcrums about which the arms 152 are swung bymoverlnent of the associated rolls 180 along the outer grooves The cam160 may be readily rotated into a desired operating position along therabbet 158 of the bracket by the provision of a rack 182 which is formedon the cam and meshes with a'pinion 184 keyed to a pin 1% rotatablymounted in bores of the bracket and cover plate 146. Secured to theupper end of the pin 1% is a bevel gear 138 (FIG. 3) meshing with abevel gear which is fixed to a shaft 192 journaled in'a bearing boss 194secured to the cover plate 146. The cam ways 162, of the cam 169 are sodesigned that the nail tubes 56, 56a may be set in any one of ninenailing designs readily determined by causing a selected one of aplurality of calibrated notches 196 formed in the periphery of the camto be brought into register with a spring-pressed plunger 198 mounted onthe bracket 79.

The nail tubes 56, 56a have formed in them bores 1% (FIGS. 4 and 9)which are of suitable diameter to receive the lower ends of plastic nailtubes 197. Nails are delivered to the upper ends of'the nail tubes 197at the proper time from the nail distributor it; as will be hereinafterdescribed.

The nail driving gun 4-6 has a threaded upper end onto which is screwed,a sleeve 2% (EIGS. l, 2 and 4) having mounted on it a cover plate 26-2,an annular chamber 204 being formed between the sleeve, the cover plateand a threaded upper end portion of the gun. Arranged above the coverplate 202 are a pair of spaced washers 206 and interposed between saidwashers is a nut 238 having threaded into it the lower end portion of arod 21% secured to a piston 212 reciprocable in a bore 214 of avertically arranged cylinder'2l6 threaded into a platform 218 carried bythe vertical guide rods 68. The sleeve 209, the cover plate 2432 and apresser plate 220 have formed in them alined bores for receiving bolts222, the presser plate being forced by nuts 22%, which are threaded ontothe upper ends of the bolts, against the upper washer 286 in orderoperatively to connect the piston rod 210 to the gun .6. The cover plate2&2 has laterally extending flanges provided With bores for receivingbearings 225 :hich are slidable along the rods 68.

The gun comprises a barrel 226 having formed in it upper and lower bores22%, 23b, in which an impact piston or block 232 and a hammer or jackset 234 respectively are reciprocable, said lower bore having a diameterslightly greater than the diameter of the upper bore.

Clamped by a plurality of bolt and nut connections 236 (FIG. 2) to thelower end of the barrel 2 26 of the gun 46 is a two part carrier block238 which is provided with bores 240 for receiving respectively headedrods 242 to the lower ends of which a stripper or extractor plate 244 issecured by nuts 246. The rods 242 and accordingly the stripper plate 244are constantly urged downward by springs 248 which surround the rods andare interposed between the carrier block 238 and the stripper plate 244,downward movement of said plate with relation to said block beinglimited by the engagement of the heads of the rods with transverseshoulders in the bores of the block. The carrier block 238 has laterallyextending flanges provided with bearings b which are slidingly mountedon the guide rods 68. The carrier block- 238 has secured'to it one ormore depending pins .stantially greater than the widths of the slots,and accordingly bridge said slots. It will be noted that the drivers15%) have upper portions of relatively large diameter and lower portionsof relatively small diameter adapted to fit slidingly in the large andsmall bores 1 33, 148a of the nail tubes 56. 56a the length of the lowerportions of the drivers being such that before bottoming againstconverging walls formed between the bore 14%, 143a they will proiectfurther below the bottoms of the associated nail tubes 56, 56a than isnecessary to accommodate the thickest work to be enetrated.

High pressure air is delivered to the chamber 264 of the gun as bycontrol means hereinafter described. The

barrel 226 oi the gun 46 has formed in it a pair of pas'- sages 252, 264which lead from the chamber 2% of the gun to the upper bore 228 and alsohas a passage 266 extending from said bore to exhaust. Arranged in thechamber 2M in opposed relation to the outer ends of the passages 262,264- is a floating annular valve 268 which operates alternately to openone passage 262, 264 to high pressure air from the chamber and to closethe other passage from said chamber and vice-versa in the manner commonto present percussively driven devices of the prior art such for exampleas disclosed in United States Letters Patent 2,911,645, granted November10, 1959 on an application filed in the name of William P. Crossen.

When air under high and exhaust pressures is admitted to chambers-270',272 formed respectively by the cylinder 216 and faces 274, 276 of thepiston 212, the gun 45 guided by the rods 63 moves downward in arectilinear path until the rear end of the carrier block 238 engages aplunger 273 of a pilot valve 2843 supported by the bracket 66 therebycausing, through means hereinafter described, high pressure air to beavailable for the chamber 2% of the gun, this condition occurring whenthe gun has moved downward to a position in which the lower end of thebarrel 226 of the gun substantially engages a conical upper face of thehammer 234, the lower face of the hammer at .this time being inengagement with the heads of the nail stripper plate 244 so that, as thehammer 23d strikes the drivers 150, said drivers will be renderedeffective to drive the nails into the work.

When pressure has been built up in the chamber 2&4 of the gun as, theimpact block 232 reciprocates rapidly in the bore 228 of the gun andstrikes with repeated high speed blows or impact action against thehammer 234 causing the nails 49 then in the bores 148a of the nail tubes56, 56a to be driven by the drivers llSti into the heel 30 and the heelseat 36 of the shoe 38 mounted on the jack 40, said nails being clinchedagainst the heel plate 69 of the last 42 carrying the shoe as the gunfollows the hammer downward as fast as permitted while the nails arebeing driven into the work.

The extent to which the nails 49 are driven into the work is controlledby the engagement of a cam plate 282, which is mounted on the carrierblock 233, with a lever 283 Which operates a plunger 284 of adifferential pilot valve 286. Operation of a spool 238 of thedifferential pilot valve 286 from its full line position to itsdash-line position (FIG. 17) as the result of bleeding air from achamber 2% of this valve by the operation of the plunger 284 causes, bymeans hereinafter described, high pressure air to be cut off from thechamber 2% of the gun 45 with the result that reciprocation of theimpact block 232 of said gun ceases and accordingly the driving of thenails 49 into the work also ceases, the gun during the completion of thecycle of the machine being elevated to its raised starting position bythe piston rod 21%) as will be explained later. The striker plate 232has a shank portion 292 the upper end of which projects above thecarrier that can be trimmed from the base lift is not critical.

block 238 and has threaded onto it a nut 2.94. A spring 296, whichsurrounds the shank portion 292 of the cam plate 282 and has its upperand lower ends engaged respectively by the carrier block 238 and theplate 282, normally maintains the nut in engagement with the upper endof the carrier block. With the above construction it will be clear thatthe cam plate 2%.? will yieldingly engage the lever 283 and may have itsoperating position changed upon the carrier block 238 by the adjustmentof the nut 294.

When the peripheral outlines or contours C, C of any two of a run ofsizes of conventional heels or heel lifts 32 in superinposed symmetricalrelation are projected on a plane as shown in FIG. 21, the distances Abetween corresponding points on the side and rear portions of thecontours are equal, the distances B between corresponding points on thebreast portions of the contours being equal but slightly smaller thanthe distances A. The distances A and B between the outlines of heels ofsuccessive sizes are constant.

Distances D, D, which are equal to one-half the maximum widths of thecontours C, C and are measured from the rear ends of the contours alonga common vertical median plane 386a of the contours, terminate at acommon point B and an axis, which is disposed at right angles to thetread faces of heels represented by the contours and passes through thispoint, is known as an axis of symmetry of the heels. In other words,when the outlines C, C of heels of different sizes are projected insymmetrical relation on a common plane, the vertical median planes 386aof the contours at that time being coincident, their points E, measuredas above described, will coincide and an axis disposed at right anglesto the plane and passing through the point E coincides with and iscommonly referred to as the axis of symmetry of any one of the heelsrepresented,

As above explained, the axes I14 of the thimbles 1% of geometricallygraded lasts are located size-graded distances from the rear ends of theheel seats lift of the lasts and preparatory to the attaching of heelsto right and left shoes carried by these lasts, the shoes together withthe lasts which carry them have to be swung about the axis of thespindle into positions in which the vertical median planes 122 of theirheel seats 113 lie in the refer ence plane 128 of the machine.

The spindle res of the jack post 1% is moved only in a verticalrectilinear path extending lengthwise of the axis of said spindle andthe shoe may be placed on the spindle and quickly and effectivelyoriented on the spindle to proper position on the jack post by movingthe rear shoulders 126 of the positioning plate 112 of the last intoregister with the lugs 135) of the post.

It may be explained at this point that after the heel lifts 32 and theirtop lifts 34 have been attached to the shoe they are trimmed alongdash-lines as shown in PEG. 7, conventional trimming machines (notshown) utilizing the crease 317 between the outsole and the counterportion of the shoe its feather or break line 31) to guide the work pastthe cutters of such machines. It will also be noted that in order not tohave to rovide a great number of heel lifts and base lifts of differentsizes one size of heel lift and its associated base lift are commonlyattached to more than one size of shoe with the result that during theheel trimming operation more material may be trimmed from the heel andoutsole of one shoe than rom the heel and outsolc of ano her shoe. Therubber lift 32 which, when no base lift is used. may be referred to as arubber heel usually has formed on its tread face designs of differenttypes and if too much material is trimmed from the heel lift or theheel. appearance of the tread face of the heel lift or heel will bespoiled. For this reason the amount of material that can be trimmed fromthe heel lift is limited while the amount For this and other reasons inrubber heel Work the base lift is commonly allowed to project slightllybeyond the heel lift. It may also be mentioned that it is desirable ifpos= sible to avoid having to trim the breasts of heel lifts 32 andtheir base lifts 34 because of various complications involved includingthe danger of damaging the shank portions of the outsoles of the shoes.Accordingly, as will be explained later, the similar breast faces of theheel lifts 32 and the base lifts 34 are alined in the carrier unit 5 aswill be hereinafter explained.

The heel carrier unit 54, which may also be referred to as a heelpositioning and clamping unit, comprises a base plate (FIGS. 3 and 10)secured to an arm 302 journaled on a bearing pin 304 mounted on a lug306 secured to the vertical column 64, and a cover 3% secured by screws310 to the base plate, said cover and base plate having formed in themvertically registering U-shapcd openings 312, 312a which are adapted toreceive heels and base lifts 32, 34 and when the machine is idle arearranged over the flat upper face of the fixed table 52 which is securedto a bracket 314 bolted to the column 64. As above explained, the heeland base lifts 32, 34 are placed upon the table 52 by hand or preferablyare dropped automatically onto the table from the magazine 5h.

The carrier unit 54 is rotated about the bearing pin 304 to move theheel and base lifts 32, 34 positioned and clamped in said unit from awork receiving station over the table 52, as shown in FIG. 10, to a heelattaching station just below the nailing die 44. counterclockwisemovement of the carrier unit 54, as viewed in- FIG. 3, about the bearingpin 364 is limited by the engagement of the arm 3612;, upon which thecarrier unit is mounted, with a stop screw 3115 (FIG. 3) secured to theouter end of the lug 3G6.

Journaled on the base plate 300 is a cylinder 316 having a bore 318 inwhich is slidable a piston 32% having secured to it a rod 322 journaledto the left end (FIG. 10) of a lever 324 pivotally mounted on a bearingstud 326 secured to the base plate. Journaled on a bearing stud 323secured to the base plate 3% is a lever 33% operatively connected to thelever 32% through a link 332. The levers 32d and 33% have pivotallyconnected to them links 334, 334a and extending between the links is arear clamp or gage 336. The right end of the rear gage 336 has acircular opening 337a for receiving a stud 335a secured to the link 334aand the left end of the rear gage has secured to it a stud 335 whichextends through an elongated slot 337 formed in the link 334, aspring-pressed plunger 339 slidable in the link normally maintaining thestud in engagement with the forward end of the slot. When the clamp 336is forced with substantial pressure against the rear end of the heellift 32 it will pivot about the stud 335a against the action of thespring-pressed plunger 339.

The forward ends of the links 334, 33441 are pivotal- 1y connected tolevers 338 pivoted on hearing studs secured to the base plate 5% andpivotslly connected to these levers are right and left side clamps 3 :2.which are pivotally connected to arms 344 journaled on bearing studs346secured to the base plate 3%. The levers 338 are operativelyconnected by links 348 to T-shaped levers 35f journaled on bearing studs352 secured to the base plate 3%. Pivotally connected to the T-shapedlevers 356 are slide clamps 354 which are pivotally connected to links356 journaled on studs 35% secured to the base plate 300, the levers 350also being operatively connected by links 36'!) to a breast clamp 362having a convex face 354 complemental to and adapted to engage thebreast faces of the heel and base lifts 32, 34.

The rear clamp 336 and the side clamps 342-, 354 have secured to. theirinner or work-engaging portions depend ing pins each of which carries aleaf spring 3-53 adapted to engage the base lift 34, which rests on thetable 52, just before the associated rear and side clamps engage theheel lift, the leaf springs 363 yielding to insure that these springsshall not interfere with the proper positioning of the heel lift in thecarrier unit 54. If desirable the side clamps 354 may be yieldinglyconnected to their associated T-shaped levers 356*. Accordingly each ofthe clamps 354 has formed in it a slot 370 through which passes a stud372 secured to the associated T-shaped lever 35%, and carried by each ofthe clamps 354 is a spring-pressed plunger 374 which normally retainsthe stud in engagement with the outer end of the slot.

As the piston rod 322 moves forward as the result of high pressure airbeing available for a face 378 of the piston 320 and a face 384) ofthepiston being open. to exhaust, the front and rear clamps 362, 336together with the side clamps 342, 354 and their associated leaf springs368 move in converging paths to engage the work which consists of theheel lift 32 and its associated base lift 34 which may have beenmanually placed on the table 52 or automatically delivered to the tablefrom the mag azine 50. The breast clamp 362 and the side clamps 342positively engage the heel lift 32 to move it on the table to itsposition shown in FIG. 10. The rear clamp 336 and the side clamps 354which are yieldingly urged against the heel lift assist the breastclamps 362 and the side clamps 342 in the positioning of the heel lift.The lower portion of the breast clamp 362 (FIG. 19) and the associatedleaf springs 368 of the rear clarnp 336 and the side clamps 342, 354cooperate to position the base lift 34 on the table to its positionshown in FIG. 10.

The construction and arrangement of the side clamps 342 and the breastclamp 362 is such that they open and close at such a ratio that theconventional heel or heel lift clamped therein will always have itsvertical median plane 386 coincident with a reference plane 375 of thecarrier unit 54 and will always have its axis of symmetry coincidentwith a fixed vertical reference axis 384 of the carrier unit 54.

As above explained, the breast clamp 362 moves the breasts of the baselift 34 and the heel lift 32 into register, the base lift which isusually slightly larger than the heel lift projecting a substantiallyuniform distance beyond the side and rear faces of the heel lift. Inview of the fact that the amount of material that can be removed fromthe base lift 34 during the heel trimming operation is not critical theleaf springs 368 are quite sati factory in the positioning of the baselift in the carrier unit 54.

As above stated, the yieldable rear clamp 336 and the yieldable sideclamps 354 may be given a slight lead in order that the heel lift 32 maybe prepositioned before it is operated upon by the breast clamp 362 andthe side clamps 342 which positively engage the heel lift. The carrierunit 54 may be described as having a fixed reference. plane 375 which isspaced equidistant from the side clamps 342 and is normally spacedequidistant from the side clamps 354. When the heel lift 34 has beenpositioned and clamped in the carrier unit 54 its vertical median plane386 may be described as lying in the referance plane 375 of said unit.

When the heel and base lifts 32, 34 on the table 52 have been positionedand clamped in the carrier unit 54, this unit is swung on the bearingpin 304 into a pcsition in which the vertical median plane 386 of theheel and accordingly the reference plane 375 of the carrier unitcoincide with the vertical reference plane 128 of the machine, thisrelation being controlled by the engagement of the arm 302 of the baseplate 380 of the carrier unit 54, with a stop screw 388 threaded intothe column 64 of the machine. 7

In order to effect swinging movement of the carrier unit 54 between itsloading position shown in FIG. 3 and its' heel attaching position belowthe nailing die 44, the arm 302 has pivotally mounted on it a cylinder392 provided with a bore 394 in which a piston 396 is slidable. Thepiston 396 has secured to it a connecting rod 398 pivotally connected toa block 390 secured to the column 64 of the machine. High pressure airand air open to i2 exhaust is made available for chambers 46!) and 402,which are formed respectively by the cylinder 392 and faces 484, 486 ofthe piston 496, alternately to cause the carrier unit 54 to betransferred from its loading position to its heel attaching position.

When the carrier 54 has been moved to its heel attaching position theaxis of symmetry of the heel lift 32 lies in the reference plane 128 ofthe machine and will be parallel to and spaced slightly from the axis114 of the thimble 168 of the last 42 positioned upon the spindle 186 ofthe jack post 96, the distance between the axis of symmetry of the heellift and the axis of the th mble being constant irrespective of the sizeof the heel. It will thus be apparent that the carrier unit 54 isadapted automatically to locate heels of different sizes beneath thenailing die 44 in positions in which the vertical projections of theoutlines of these heels on the planes of the feather lines respectivelyof the shoes carried by the last positioned on the jack, will lie asubstantially constant distance outside said feather line and in nestedrelation.

As stated above, by using this method of positioning heels with relationto the shoe on the jack, the services of a skilled operator are nolonger required in the attachment of the heel to the shoe. Moreover, theproviding of carrier units 54 such as above described is an importantstep in the providing of the fully automatic heel attaching machinedisclosed in said application Serial No. 28,801.

As will be explained later, in the fluid pressure control system of themachine the nail distributor 48 is operated in response to movement ofthe carrier unit 54 beneath the nailing die 44. Accordingly the arm 302through which the carrier unit 54 is supported for pivotal movement hasmounted on it a pilot valve 412 provided with a plunger 414 which as thecarrier unit approaches its heel attaching position beneath the nailingdie engages a screw 416 adjustably mounted on the column 64 whereby tocause the nail distributor 48 to operate.

The nail distributor 48 is mounted upon the upper end of the verticalcolumn 64 and comprises a raceway 418 which is secured by screws 428 tothe column and has formed in it a plurality of slots 422 which areinclined to the horizontal and are adapted to receive nails 49 withtheir heads overlying an upper face 424 of the raceway.

Pivotally mounted on trunnions 426 fitting in bores of bosses 428 (onlyone shown) of the column 64 is a nail hopper 430 which is provided witha generally fiat floor 432 having formed in its slots 434 which, exceptfor their lower ends, are of uniform width. The hopper 430 has thegeneral appearance of an open top box and has upstanding side and endwalls, portions of the floor along opposite sides of the rear portionsof the slots 434 being cut way to form nail receiving depressions 436. Abaffle plate 438 extends from one side wall of the hopper 430 to theother and is spaced from the floor 432. Extending downward from thebottom of the hopper 43th is a lug 440 which is pivotally connected tothe upper end of a piston rod 442.

The hopper 430 has secured to it a solid ramp 444 which extends from thefloor 432 of said hopper to the front wall of the hopper and from oneside wall of the hopper to the other. Forward end portions of the slots434 just rearward of the lower end of the ramp 444, which is almostflush with the floor 432, terminate in widened slot portions 434a, theconstruction and arrangement being such that the nails traveling downthe slots 434 will drop through said widened slot portions into coveredlower slots or passages 446 which are formed in a lower floor portion ofthe hopper beneath said ramp and are in effect continuations of theslots 434.

Opposing adjacent ends of the raceway 418 and the floor 432 of thehopper 430 are undercut as best shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 andsubstantially engage each other along a common axis 450 of the trunnions426. As the hopper 430 swings between its full line retracted position(FIG. 12) and its dash-line projected position nails in the hopper areshaken and drop into the slots 434 with their heads engaging the floor432. During movement of the hopper 430 to its dash-line position (FIG.12) the nails slide down the slots 434 and as they arrive at the ramp44% they fall into the widened slot portions 434a and into the lowerslots 446. The lower ends of the slots 446 of the hopper 430 are inregister with the upper ends of the slots 422 formed in the raceway 418and when the hopper is raised to its dash-line position nails in theslots 446 will be transferred to the registering slots 422 of theraceway 418.

The piston rod 442 which is pivotally connected to the lug 440 of thehopper 430 is secured to a piston 452 slidable in a bore of a cylinder454 fulcrumed at its lower end to the column 64 of the machine. Thecylinder 454 and a lower face 456 of the piston 452 form a chamber towhich high pressure air is supplied, said piston being normally retainedin a rest position at the lower end of the bore by a spring 460. The lug441) of the hopper 430 is also operatively connected to a link 462pivotally connected to an arm 464 pinned to a shaft 466 journaled inbearings 468 secured by screws to a block 4769 which in turn is securedto the column 64 and also to the raceway 418. Also pinned to the shaft466 is a thrust arm 472 the purpose of which will be explained later.

Secured by screws 474 and spacers to the block 47% is a front wall 476having formed in its rear face a plurality of vertical grooves 478 whichare laterally offset from the lower ends of the slots 422 formed in theraceway 418. Slidable laterally in a guideway formed by the front wall476, the block 470 and the forward end of the raceway 418 is a separatorplate 480 provided with slots 482 which are normally in register withthe slots 422 of the raceway 418. Formed in the block 470 are aplurality of funnelshaped openings 484 which are arranged respectivelybelow the grooves 478 in the front wall 476 and secured in lower taperedends of the openings are the upper ends of the plastic nail tubes 197the lower ends of which fit in the bores 195 in the nail tubes 56, 56aas above explained.

The block 470 has mounted in it a bearing collar 486 and verticallyslidable in said collar and resting on the thrust arm 472 is a rod 488having formed in it a bore adapted to receive a pin 4% which isconstanty urged to a raised position in said bore by a spring 492interposed between the heads of the rod and the pin.

Journaled upon a pin 494 mounted in a bracket 496 secured by screws tothe block 47% is an L-shaped lever 498 which is constantly urgedcounterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 14 by a spring 50% and which isengaged by the upper end of the pin 4%. The vertical arm of the L-shaped lever 498 is pivotally connected by a shoulder screw 502, whichhas a forward extension and has a nut threaded onto it, to the right end(FIGS. 14 and 15) of the separator plate 480.

When the machine is in its rest position the hopper 435 is in itsfull-line position shown in FIG. 12 and the separator plate 480 is inits position shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 with nails resting in the slots482 of said plate. As the carrier unit 54 moves to its heel attachingposition below the nailing die 44 the piston rod 442 is operated byfluid pressure means hereinafter described to raise the hopper 430 toits clash-line position and to move the thrust arm 472 counterclockwise(FIG. 12) thus allowing the L- shaped arm 498 to be swungcounterclockwise (FIG. 14) by the spring 500 until the L-shaped armengages a stop screw 504 secured to the bracket 496. When this occursthe nails 49 in the slots 432 of the separator plate 480 are transferredto the grooves 478 formed in the front wall 476 and then drop throughthe funnel-shaped openings 484 into the plastic tubes 197 for deliveryto the bores 195 in the nail tubes 56, 56a and into the lower passages1143, 148a of said tubes to positions in which the pointed ends of thenails enter the recesses 58 formed in the heel lift 32 which at thistime is in a waiting position beneath the nail tubes. As the verticalarm of the L-shaped lever 498 engages the stop screw 564, the forwardextension of the shoulder screw 502 engages a screw 566 secured to anarm 5% which opens a chamber 518 (FIG. 16) of a differential pilot valve512 to exhaust and thus effects the operation of a plunger 514 of thisvalve, as will be hereinafter described, whereby to cause the face 456of the piston 452 to be connected to exhaust. When this occurs thepiston rod 442 returns to its lowered starting position under the actionof the spring 46% causing the hopper 43th to be moved back to itsfull-line position and causing the L-shaped lever 498 to be swungclockwise to it position shown in FIG. 14 against the action of thespring 500 and the separator plate to be moved back to its normalposition in which its slots 482 register with the slots 422 in theraceway 418. As the abutment 566 is released by the forward extension ofthe shoulder screw 552 secured to the separator plate 486 the plunger514 of the differential pilot valve 512 assumes its rest position shownin FIG. 16.

High pressure air used in the operation of the machine is available fora primary supply line 516 which is con- .uected through a ball check toa secondary supply line 518,

from a compressor line 524) connected through a pressure regulator 522to the primary supply line.

After the last 42 carrying the shoe 38 has been positioned on the post86 of the jack 46, a heel at this time resting on the table 52, theoperator simultaneously depresses a pair of spools 524 of manuallyoperated valves 526 against the action of springs 528 causing air in theline 518 to be available for a face 55% of a spool 534 of a main pilotvalve 532 thus causing said spool 534 to move to its dash-line position(FIG. 16), an exhaust line 536 at this time being cut off from the line518 by the spools 524 of the Valves 526. As soon as the spool 534 of thepilot valve 532 has been shifted to its dash-line position to start themachine the operator releases the spools 524 of the manually operatedvalves 526 with the result that these spools move to their idlepositions under the action of the springs 528, the spool 534 remainingin its dash-line position. High pressure air in the secondary supplyline 518 is now available through line 553, a pressure regulator 54% anda line 542 for a chamber 544 formed by the cylinder 516 and the face 378of the piston 320 which is operatively connected to the lever 324 of theheel carrier unit 54. The lines 542 and 535 are also connected forone-way flow in an opposite direction through a ball check. When thespool 554 of the main pilot valve 532 is in its dash-line position aline 546, which is open to a chamber 543 formed by the cylinder 316 andthe face 38%) of the piston 32%, is also open to an exhaust port 55% ofthe main pilot valve. Accordingly, the heel and base lifts 32, 34supported by the table 52 will be positioned and clamped by the carrierunit 54 with the vertical median plane 386 of said lift arranged in thevertical median plane 375 of the carrier unit and the axis of symmetryof said heel lift coincident with a vertical reference line 384 fixedwith relation to said unit.

At this time high pressure air in the line 538 is also available for asequence valve 552 and when air in this line has built up to apredetermined pressure after the heel and base lifts have been clampedin the carrier unit 54, this sequence valve operates and high pressureair is available for a line 554 open to a chamber 556 of a cut ofl"valve 558 which comprises a spool 56f! normally held by a spring 562 inits position shown in FIG. 16 to allow air to flow freely through thechamber 556 to a line 564 having ball and restrictor checks.

The cut off valve 555 serves as a safety to insure against the machineoperating through a cycle when there is no work, which may be a heellift 32 and a base lift 34 or just a heel lift then referred to as aheel, in the carrier

1. IN A MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SHOES, A SUPPORT, A NAILING DIE,MEANS FOR EFFECTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE SUPPORT AND THE DIE TOFORCE TWO PARTS OF A SHOE TOGETHER, MEANS COOPERATING WITH THE NAILINGDIE TO DRIVE A PLURALITY OF NAILS SIMULTANEOUSLY BY SUCCESSIVE IMPACTACTION INTO SAID SHOE PARTS TO SECURE SAID SHOE PARTS TO EACH OTHER, ANDMEANS FOR ALLOWING THE SUPPORT TO MOVE SLIGHTLY AWAY FROM THE NAILINGDIE IN RESPONSE TO THE DRIVING OF NAILS INTO THE WORK BY SAIDSECOND-NAMED MEANS.